Black Velvet
by Goth Albino Angel
Summary: Blake and Velvet are becoming closer, but a figure from Blake's past decides to sow seeds of dissent to force the pair apart. Can the two Faunus really work through their rocky relationship? Mentions of self-harm.
1. The NOT date

_**I don't own RWBY. Otherwise it would be really screwed up... either that, or Blake and Weiss would have kissed at the end of episode sixteen. At least hugged...**_

_**Alright, so I'm new at writing RWBY fanfiction so bear with me until I can get it right. Just so you know, Blake/Velvet is NOT my OTP for this fandom. I much prefer Monochrome, but this was just too good to pass up.**_

_**Rant out of the way, enjoy.**_

* * *

A shriek split the tranquil air of the library, causing Blake to look up from her book. "Give that back!" An accented voice shouted.

"Come on, bunny. Hop for the carrot." Another voice piped up. Blake rolled her eyes and stood, making her way over to the source of the commotion.

_Leave it to Cardin to ruin my perfectly quiet morning before classes by taunting someone_. Blake rounded the corner and leaned against the bookshelf, watching Cardin dangle a carrot above Velvet's head as one of his lackeys held her down so she couldn't get to it.

Clearing her throat, Blake drew all their attention. "In case you hadn't noticed, you're in a library. You know, that place where the smart students spend their time doing productive things in the quiet?"

Cardin glared at her before tossing the carrot onto the table and leading his team away, sneering at Blake menacingly. Yellow eyes rolled before she turned to head back to her seat to finish her book.

"Thanks." Velvet murmured behind her.

"Don't mention it." Blake shrugged, sending a wave over her shoulder before continuing with her book until her alarm went off to get to class.

Glancing about to make sure neither Cardin nor Velvet were around, the cat-Faunus made her way to her first class, taking a seat in the middle section of the lecture hall. Velvet took her normal seat at the front while Cardin took his normal seat parallel to Blake on the other side of the room. Pyrrha and Jaune entered moments later and Blake nodded hello to the redhead as she took a seat beside her.

Listening intently to the lesson, Blake heard a squeak below and glanced down to see balls of paper flying at Velvet's ears. Glancing over, she spotted Cardin tossing minuscule pieces of paper at the rabbit-Faunus.

Looking to Pyrrha, the brunette noted the redhead's intense interest in the lesson, so she knew that she would go relatively unnoticed. Waiting for the right moment to strike, Blake got her chance when the professor turned his back. In a large burst of speed similar to her fighting style, the brunette grabbed all of the balls of paper in quick succession and stuffed them down the front of Cardin's pants, reappearing in her seat as if she hadn't moved at all.

Cardin's shout of protest clued the class in that something was amiss and the professor turned expectantly. "Is there something wrong, Mister Winchester?"

Cardin glared around at the class before gritting out, "No sir."

"Good, now can you tell me the answer to..."

Pyrrha looked to Blake in utter confusion to find the cat-girl smirking down at her paper. Noticing the confusion on Velvet's face, the redhead pieced things together and smiled.

The day ended with only two more incidents of Cardin taunting Velvet while Blake was around before the school day finally ended. Blake gathered her things and made her way out of the classroom.

Sniffing in the fresh air, Blake did a quick sweep of the air to find her two wards. She didn't spot them right away and nodded, moving down the steps and in the direction of the library. Before she could get there, however, a flash of auburn caught her eye.

Blake watched in barely suppressed fury as Cardin walked up behind Velvet and yanked on her ears, causing her to yelp and drop the books she was carrying, to the amusement of the rest of Team Cardinal.

Glaring daggers at the bullies, the black-haired girl walked over and helped the rabbit-Faunus gather her books.

"Thank you." The accent threw Blake for a loop not realizing how beautiful it would sound so close to her more sensitive pair of ears.

Shaking herself free of that thought, Blake smiled. "You know, it's come into speculation more than once between teams Ruby and Juniper that one or all of us could break Cardin's legs. I'll personally do it if you want."

"That's a nice offer, Blake, but I'm not one for violence unless necessary. Grimm are one thing, but Cardin is a fellow student." Velvet sighed and shook her head, her large bunny ears flapping.

"Well then, allow me to take you out." Blake suggested. "To make up for the horrible day you've been having."

Ruby and Weiss were walking nearby when they heard Blake's offer and glanced at each other in confusion, never having known Blake to be one to initiate time together with anyone, especially not someone she barely knew.

"Do you think she's feeling okay?" Weiss inquired.

"I don't know, but I think it's wonderful that she's getting herself out there." Ruby grinned.

"Oh, well... thank you." Velvet blushed slightly and nodded, letting Blake take her books into her arms as the two began walking to the exit of the academy.

Walking through the streets of Vale, Blake gave a small smile and looked to Velvet. "Is there anywhere specific that you like to go in the city?"

"N-no, I don't get out much." Velvet expected light teasing at the fact that she was a shut in, but was pleasantly surprised when Blake simply hummed in thought. Glancing up, she found the other girl looking around for something.

"Ah, how about here?" The darker brunette inquired, pointing to a quaint restaurant. Velvet looked up and found that it was a buffet style restaurant that served both vegetarian and carnivore.

"This is great." She replied, looking at the name. Omni Vorus Extremes. _Perfect name for it really._ She thought as Blake led the way inside.

"Hello and welcome to Omni Vorus." A woman said from behind the counter, her tail waving happily at seeing newcomers. "How may we serve you?"

"One carnivore and one omnivore." Blake replied, eyeing the fish section with interest.

"Excellent! Omnivores can find their food on the far right side of the restaurant while carnivores are on the far left. That will be twenty dollars and seventy-five cents." Velvet reached for her wallet, but Blake whipped hers out first and paid calmly, leading Velvet toward one of the far tables closer to the vegetarian section. She set their bags down on the chairs and grinned. "I'll meet you back here?"

"Of course." Velvet giggled, grabbing a plate and making for the carrots, Blake making a beeline for the fish section.

The pair met back up five minutes later after perusing their choices and settled down to eat. Velvet watched Blake cut into her fish for a moment before taking a deep breath.

"Thank you." She said, making the other girl look up in confusion. "You've been really nice to me today. I know you're the one that has been punishing Cardin every time he teases me and... I appreciate it. And thank you for dinner as well."

"Hey, it's no problem, Velvet." Blake told her gently. "No one deserves to be bullied just because of who they are. And I was getting tired of him picking on you. You're too smart to be dealing with his crap everyday. If I had my way, I'd make sure he never made you cry ever again."

Velvet was touched at the sentiment behind the words as Blake dug into her fish. "You really like fish, don't you?" The rabbit-eared girl asked, nibbling a carrot.

"Fish is my carrot." Blake replied bluntly, not even looking up from her tuna.

Velvet laughed at that and continued her meal. When they were finished, Blake stacked their plates and took up the books again, guiding Velvet out of the restaurant and back to Beacon, pointing out her favorite places to go as she did.

Upon coming back to the dormitories, Blake handed Velvet her books once they were outside the rabbit-eared girl's room before bidding her goodbye. Velvet held her books to her chest for a moment, watching the dark-haired girl stroll away before slowly unlocking her dorm room and stepping inside.

"Where have you been?"

**_..._**

Blake walked down the dormitory corridors and a small smile flickered on her face as she pulled out her keycard and unlocked her dormitory room.

As she entered, she noticed no one around until a voice shouted, "She's back!"

* * *

_**So, for someone who's never written RWBY before, how was it?**_

_**And just wanted to let you guys know I'm now on Tumblr (gothalbinoangel-fiction), Twitter ((a)gothalbinoangel), a Facebook (Goth Albino Angel) and an Archive of Our Own account (GothAlbinoAngel). There are more details on my profile.**_


	2. Lots of squealing

_**Alright, let it be known that I created Velvet's team before I knew the names of the other members on it and I have no intention of changing them. If you wish for character descriptions to get a better picture, just PM me and I'll give you the layout of each character. **_

_**That aside, they will also be making a much smaller appearance in **Faunus' True Form**, so you'll be able to make comparisons there. **_

_**That being said, hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**_

* * *

Blake stared around her dorm room as teammates moved from the bathroom to sit on their beds. Ruby and Yang were grinning at her while Weiss had her mask of indifference on, despite the twinkle in her eyes.

"What's going on?" The black-themed member asked slowly, staring at them all in confusion.

"How was your date with Velvet?" Ruby asked excitedly.

"It wasn't a date." Blake replied, opening her most recent book, which she had left that morning lying on her bed. "I was just treating her to some food because of Cardin's abrasive behavior toward her."

"So... you... took her to dinner?" Yang clarified slowly.

"Yes." The cat-Faunus replied, turning a page.

"And it wasn't somewhere the two of you had gone before?" Weiss intoned, with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, she gets out of the school even less than I do so she hadn't been there and I thought it looked nice."

"Did you pay?" Ruby smirked.

"Of course. I asked her to come with me. It would be rude to make her pay." Another page in the book turned as the other three members of the team exchanged looks varying between mischievous, excited and skeptical.

"It was a date." They all stated, making Blake sigh.

"Call it what you want, but I know what it was just as well as she does and it was _not_ a date."

_**...**_

"She took you on a _date?_" Organza exclaimed, bouncing around excitedly. Velvet was back in her dorm with team Vole and they were discussing the fact that Blake took the rabbit-Faunus to dinner.

"Organza, I don't think it was supposed to be meant as a date-." Velvet tried.

"But what person in this school aside from Pyrrha Nikos would actually associate with a Faunus without either being a Faunus or being on a team with one? Humans aren't very accepting and I want to teach them all a lesson about it." She growled momentarily in a show of anger, before getting back on track.

"But that's not the _point_. The point is, Blake isn't a Faunus and usually keeps to herself, but she still was willing to take you out to dinner."

"It could have been a simple pity gesture." Loden offered, combing his hair. "You _did_ say she asked after watching Cardin bully you."

"Yeah," Organza murmured. "But she watched him do it _all day_. That has to mean _something!_"

"Look, maybe we're thinking too much into it." Velvet told them. "Besides, it's not likely to happen again. Blake would have no reason to ask me out again."

"What makes you say that?" Loden inquired.

"Well, she's got her team and team Juniper as her friends and I've got you guys. There's really no reason for either of us to interact again."

"Say what you will." Eyelet murmured from her bunk on the far side of the room. "But you'd be surprised how well my semblance is at reading people."

"What do you mean?" Velvet and Organza asked together.

"Ask me that question again after Monday." The redhead murmured, going back to her drawings.

The rest of the team glanced at each other before shrugging and Organza continued gushing over Velvet's date.

* * *

**_I know it was short and I'm sorry for that, but I had absolutely nothing else to say on the matter and conversations about dating aren't actually as long as you guys would think from movies and books. They're usually pretty open and shut._**

**_So, yeah, that was chapter two. How was it? Tell me in a review and I'll see about the next chapter coming within a day. ;)_**

_****_**_Aside from that, just wanted to let you guys know I'm now on Tumblr (gothalbinoangel-fiction), Twitter ((a)gothalbinoangel), a Facebook (Goth Albino Angel) and an Archive of Our Own account (GothAlbinoAngel). There are more details on my profile. _**_****_


	3. The Week After

_**Alright, as per my promise via Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, I'm updating all of the RWBY fics. **_

_**This is, by far, my favorite RWBY fic to write for, so I hope you guys all enjoy the chapter.**_

* * *

Velvet walked through the hallways of Beacon Monday morning, ducking around people attempting to pull her ears and ignoring the comments about her rabbit heritage. It was shaping up to be a relatively normal day. Cardin had attempted to corner her in the library, but upon seeing Blake lower her book slowly and glare at him, the bully and his team retreated with promises of getting her later. And they had delivered. Several paper balls had stuck to her ears until the end of the class when the boys had finally disappeared to their next class.

Sighing, the Faunus simply continued trudging toward her next class, wondering if the day could get any worse.

"Hey, Velvet!"

The rabbit-eared girl turned, expecting to find someone else ready to taunt her over her ears. However, her expression softened to one of relief when she spotted Blake walking toward her calmly.

"Hello, Blake. What can I help you with?"

"Nothing. I was just wondering if... I mean, I had fun on our outing last week and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind going for a walk with me this weekend."

Velvet smiled sweetly up at the darker brunette and nodded enthusiastically. "I would love to."

"Great. I'll be outside your dorm room at four on Friday." Blake grinned as she turned away, waving to the rabbit-Faunus as she did.

"Alright. See you then." A small smile appeared on Velvet's face as she entered her next class. Sitting down and preparing for the teacher's lecture, the rabbit-Faunus let her mind wander to where Blake might be taking her that weekend. _Where could we go?_ she mused. _Could she be taking me back into Vale? Perhaps for a bit of bonding while sight-seeing? Or are we going somewhere else more secluded?_ Velvet couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks at the thought. _Could she really be taking me... on a date like Ganza said?_

The teacher walked into the class and began his lecture, prompting Velvet from her thoughts. Diligently taking notes, Velvet didn't think about Blake's proposal until the end of class when she was packing her things up. Her cheeks flushed again when she realized that Blake was in her next class. Shaking her head, Velvet banished any thoughts of a date from her mind, hurrying to her next class because she didn't want to be late (at least that's what she told herself).

Coming to the classroom, the rabbit-Faunus ignored the shred of disappointment she felt at not seeing Blake in the classroom yet. Taking her usual seat at the front, Velvet took out her notebook and turned to a fresh page, waiting for class to begin. As the door opened, she glanced up hopefully, only to have her heart sink. Cardin.

"Hey, look fellas." the auburn-haired boy snickered. "Bunny rabbit's here already."

"Don't. Even. Think about it." A voice said from behind them. Team Cardinal turned to find Pyrrha and Blake standing behind them, both with their arms crossed.

"What? You got a problem?" Cardin sneered.

"Not yet." Blake stated, eyes narrowing. "But we will if you make the wrong move. Why not just fly to your seats like good little pigeons, Cardinal?"

All of the boys took offense at the comment and growled, about to advance. Blake and Pyrrha didn't bat an eyelash, instead, pushing past the group of boys to get into the classroom and make their way to their normal seats. Before heading up the stairs of the lecture hall, Pyrrha sent Velvet an encouraging smile and Blake nodded to her with a wink, both girls moving on.

Velvet felt a smile tug at her lips as Team Cardinal took their seats moments later, grumbling about what they wanted to do to the two girls. Class proceeded as per normal, but without Cardin making the usual number of quips at Velvet and without any spitballs flying at the large ears. Velvet wondered why that was and surreptitiously looked around. Cardin was in the midst of rolling a spitball and glaring right at her, but something flew into his ear with expert precision seconds before he could throw it. Turning her attention, Velvet spotted Pyrrha doing the same to Dove and Sky while Blake glared pointedly at Russel, who was thinking of simply throwing a paper ball.

Velvet blushed once more. The look in the darker brunette's eyes promised the green-haired boy pain and suffering if he dared to throw that ball and Velvet found it... attractive? Was that the word she was looking for? It was as close as she could get, but it made something stir in the lighter brunette's stomach, of that she was certain.

The school day ended on a higher note for Velvet than it had in a long time as she watched Blake have Pyrrha turn Russel upside down and shake him until he was begging for mercy. "Not so much fun when you're the one being bullied, is it?" Blake hissed, amber eyes flashing. "Keep your hands to yourself, Russ. Or next time, Pyrrha won't be here to stop me from cutting them off."

Russel nodded, beginning to turn as green as his hair. Pyrrha set him down and nodded to Blake. "Go ahead to Jaune." the brunette told her. "He's waiting for those lessons. And I know you want to cuddle with Nora later. Thanks for your help."

"A pleasure sticking up for a friend." Pyrrha replied, lifting her bag and waving as she headed for the dormitories. Velvet cocked her head at the interaction and walked over as Russel stumbled off toward the nearest trash can. Blake turned to her with a small smile and Velvet felt as if her chest was constricting for a moment.

"What was that all about?" the lighter brunette asked.

"He finally threw the paper ball when he thought I wasn't looking." Blake shrugged. "I wasn't, Pyrrha was and she caught it. I heard it and instantly knew what happened. I had to teach him a lesson and Pyrrha was eager to help."

"You don't have to do that for me." Velvet told her. "I'm not worth you and Pyrrha getting detention."

Blake cocked her head with a curious smile before shaking it and turning. "Have a good night, Velvet." the darker girl called with a wave and that same curious smile.

Velvet watched her go in confusion before beginning to make her way toward her own dorm.

_**...**_

Velvet walked toward her first class Tuesday morning, but stopped when she bumped into someone that stepped right in front of her. A quick flash of plaid and her books had left her hands as well.

"Hey!" the rabbit-Faunus exclaimed, glancing up. She found amber eyes twinkling at her with mirth as a pale hand was extended in her direction.

"May I walk you to class?" Blake chuckled, helping the other Faunus to her feet.

"B-Blake... I... you-you don't have to-."

"It wasn't an order, Velvet." Blake told her, mirth hidden in her voice. "I just figured that since we have the same class this morning, it wouldn't hurt to walk with you."

"Thank you." Velvet blushed as students stared at them as they passed, but Blake seemed oblivious to the odd stares coming in their direction. Velvet supposed it was easy for her to ignore them since she was human. _And people probably stare at her beauty all the time._ Velvet thought as they neared the classroom.

Blake smiled as she walked Velvet to class. Once inside, she held out the latter's books and moved up to her seat. Pyrrha watched with amused eyes, not having seen Blake like this in the entire time they'd been at Beacon. Large green eyes beamed up at the brunette as Blake took her seat. "You seem quite taken with her." The redhead remarked calmly.

"Velvet? No, we're just friends."

"I do not know much about dating since I focused more on my studies, but I am certain that carrying books is the job of a romantic partner."

Blake shrugged. "We're just friends, Pyrrha. It's no big deal."

The famous athlete raised an eyebrow with a small smile on her face. "If you're certain." She shrugged.

_**...**_

Thursday, Blake approached Velvet after classes. "Hey Velvet." The darker brunette murmured.

"Hello, Blake!" Velvet grinned.

"Um, it's going to snow tomorrow. You should probably wear a winter coat."

"Is that a rabbit joke?" Doe eyes twinkled in mirth at the surprise in the large yellow eyes.

"N-no, I just... I'm going to be wearing a winter coat to keep me warm, so I thought..."

"It's alright, Blake. And thank you. I'll be sure to wear a thick coat."

"Great." The ninja gave her a relieved smile. "See you tomorrow." Blake walked off and Velvet was about to go to her dorm when a thought occurred to her. _How did she know it was going to snow tomorrow?_

_**...**_

Velvet waited nervously in her dorm room Friday afternoon. Her last class had ended an hour ago and now she was pacing the room, waiting for Blake to arrive. Eyelet watched her quietly, pushing a few strands of scarlet hair from her aquamarine eyes every few minutes as they came loose from turning her head.

The rabbit-Faunus was going completely to pieces with nervousness. She had been experiencing conflicting feelings about Blake all week, ever since the conversation she had had with her team last Friday. _I'm just looking too much into it._ she told herself. _It wasn't meant as a date. This isn't meant as a date. She just wants to spend time with me. For whatever reason, she wants to spend time with me._

"Velvet, she's here." Eyelet told her calmly.

"How do-." A knock at her door clued her in to the fact that she had been so focused on her mental and physical pacing that, even with her Faunus hearing, she hadn't even heard Blake walk to the door. "-I look?" she finished, changing course from what she was initially going to say.

"_Fine._" Eyelet told her calmly, standing and pushing her toward the door. "Now, go, she's waiting for you."

Velvet nodded and walked to the door, opening it with a shaky hand and being greeted by the sight of Blake clad in a thick black winter coat. Velvet smiled at her nervously, but Blake smiled. "Warm enough?" the darker brunette inquired.

"Y-yes." Rabbit ears twitched as Blake smiled and turned, sending a look over her shoulder to indicate that Velvet should follow. The rabbit-Faunus cocked her head to the side before following after her companion. The air outside nipped at her cheeks and Velvet cursed herself for not bringing a hat. Blake, taking note of how the lighter brunette burrowed down into her coat, removed something soft and purple from her coat pocket.

"Here." she said, beginning to fix the hat on Velvet's head, being careful not to hurt her rabbit ears. When she pulled back, flopping ears hung from beneath the purple cap, but Velvet seemed to have stopped shivering as badly. Blake smiled and continued, leading Velvet toward the forest at the border of campus.

The pair of girls made their way through the woods calmly, Blake leading the way through the snow. "How are you classes going?" the brunette asked, turning slightly to talk to her companion.

"They're fine, I suppose. It's nice being able to actually concentrate on taking notes and listening to lectures without things flying at my ears." Velvet noticed a small smile on Blake's eyes and giggled slightly. "I would like to thank you for that."

"It's no big deal." the darker brunette replied, sending her a quick smile. "I was getting tired of seeing him pick on you and feeling like trash because I didn't do anything about it. You deserve better than that. You're a Faunus, not an animal."

"I wish others shared that sentiment." Velvet sighed, staring at the snow-covered ground.

"Me too." Blake muttered, bordering on a snarl.

"Well, it's still nice to be able to have someone who cares about how others treat Faunus." Velvet shot the darker brunette a sidelong glance and noticed a small frown on the beautiful features. _Beautiful? Well, she... she is quite attractive..._

Noticing that they seemed to be heading further away from the school than anticipated, Velvet asked, "Where are we going?"

"It's right up here, actually." Blake told her, pointing to a cliff. Velvet felt a small chill of fear run down her spine at the sight, wondering briefly if Blake planned to toss her over it. _No, she wouldn't do that._

"Careful." Blake threw out an arm to stop Velvet from going any further. "The snow makes it look sturdy, but from this point on it gets a bit precarious. Stay close to me, alright?"

The lighter brunette nodded and followed closely behind the taller girl, Blake picking her way closer. "Hopefully this is close enough for you to see." Blake murmured.

"See what?" Velvet asked.

"Turn slightly to your left." the darker brunette urged.

Velvet cocked her head before doing as she was told, glancing through the branches around them and gasping. It was a meadow, but not an ordinary one. This one was full of clusters of trees here and there, dotting the grass. And all of the trees had beautiful ice crystals hanging from them. The way the sunlight caught the crystals made the entire thing sparkle like a thousand stars.

"It's... beautiful." Brown eyes gazed around in wonder before turning to the other girl. Blake's black hair was a stark contrast against the white setting around them, her skin nearly disappearing due to its paleness. Amber eyes shone at her from the mass of black and white, glowing in the winter sun.

Velvet felt a blush creep up her cheeks as Blake held out her hand. Accepting it, the lighter brunette was led to a small overhang that was, thankfully, free of snow. Taking a seat, Blake motioned for Velvet to sit with her and the mage glanced at her oddly. There wasn't any room for her underneath.

Blake chuckled and tugged her hand, causing Velvet to stumble forward. Strong hands caught her around the waist and turned her around, using the rest of her momentum to sit her down. Blood rushed to Velvet's cheeks as she felt a warm body against her back. At this angle, they could both watch the dancing lights as the wind blew around them. It was a serene content atmosphere and Velvet was loathe to let anything ruin it.

Velvet smiled and glanced back in the direction of Beacon Academy. Her gaze lowered to their tracks for a moment, but she paused when she only saw three lines of footprints. She could clearly see which ones were hers, as they were making up two of the lines of tracks, however, Blake's tracks were in a straight line.

_But she didn't actively try to do that_. The brown-haired girl thought. _She was focused on me the entire way up here, so how did... her tracks look just like a cat's would after walking in the snow, but I don't understand how that could be when she's human... isn't she?_

* * *

_****_**_I know what you guys are thinking. It gets really hard remembering that not everyone knows Blake is a Faunus. Heck, by the Volume 2 premiere, I don't even think Juniper knows she was a Faunus. But that's chiller. In this fic... and plenty of other ones as well, Juniper knows about Blake's Faunus heritage (because it makes it easier for me). Hope you guys enjoyed reading it! Next chapter will be asap, so drop me a review._**_****_

_****_**_Aside from that, just wanted to let you guys know I'm now on Tumblr (gothalbinoangel-fiction), Twitter ((a)gothalbinoangel), a Facebook (Goth Albino Angel) and an Archive of Our Own account (GothAlbinoAngel). There are more details on my profile. _**_****_


	4. Date Plans

_**Hey guys! Miss me? So, I move into my college dorm room tomorrow and start on the 25th. Be proud. To celebrate the fact that I am furthering my education... here's a new chapter for you all! **_

_**For all those interested, Team JNPR does NOT know Blake is a Faunus in this fic. **_

_**For all those reading, all RWBY fics were created and thought of BEFORE the beginning of Volume 2, so all details are already hashed out and NOT changing.**_

_**Enjoy guys! ^_^**_

* * *

"Wow, it sounds so romantic, Velvet." Organza gushed, a blush painting her cheeks.

"Yes. Interesting that she could choose something so beautiful." Loden agreed, cocking his head from adjusting his hair in the mirror, orange tresses not falling quite the way he wanted.

"Especially after only knowing it was going to snow after a day." Organza mused. "How did she know, anyway? Even the news casters didn't know until later that night."

"It is odd." Velvet nodded. "Usually only Faunus know that it's going to snow before news casters do, but I didn't pick up on anything."

"Perhaps she has a sixth sense?" Loden suggested. "Maybe her semblance is controlling the weather?"

"No, she doesn't get outside enough for that to even remotely make sense." Organza murmured, green eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Eyelet spoke up from her end of the room. "Regardless of semblance, it was still a very nice gesture on Blake's part."

"Yeah!" Organza cheered, turning to her partner. "So, are you convinced that she wants to date you, now?"

Velvet blushed and responded, "I'm not certain. I still don't know if she considers them dates. What if I try to make a move and she rejects me?"

"That's a chance you'll have to take if you want to try being in a relationship." Loden shrugged.

"You won't know if she's interested in trying if one of you doesn't make some sort of move." Eyelet advised, continuing her drawing.

"You're right." Velvet set her jaw and turned on her heel, heading back out.

"Where are you going?" Loden called.

"To ask her out before I lose my resolve." The rabbit-Faunus called over her shoulder before continuing down the hall.

_**...**_

"Where did you take her this time?" Ruby asked with an excited grin.

"Off into Emerald Forest." Her Faunus teammate replied nonchalantly.

"Uh, aren't there Ursa and tons of other Grimm in there?" Yang asked, eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Yes." Blake responded, turning a page in her book.

"That's reckless!" Weiss snapped. "You could have been killed!"

"I wouldn't take Velvet somewhere if I knew it would be dangerous." Her quiet counterpart stated, lifting her eyes from the pages. "Especially if she was weaponless. That wouldn't reflect well on my judgement and would speak little of how much I care for her well-being."

"So, this date was just to show her pretty things?" Yang asked, wanting to diffuse the argument that was bound to crop up between the monochromatic members of the team.

Blake sighed. "It wasn't a date." She told them.

"Do you want to take her on a date?" Ruby asked innocently.

Blake opened her mouth to deny the feeling, but paused, thinking about the question. How did she feel about Velvet? Did she want to become more with the other Faunus?

"I suppose so." She muttered uncertainly.

"What do you mean, you suppose?" Weiss scoffed. "I didn't start dating Ren because I SUPPOSED I liked him enough to date. I was sure."

"I'm still trying to figure out how you two get along." Yang muttered, cocking an eyebrow at the heiress.

"We're both intellectuals with a good taste in art and literature." Weiss huffed contemptuously.

"Right." Yang nodded, rolling her eyes.

"I think the best way to figure out your problem is to face it head on." Ruby informed Blake, ignoring their other two teammates.

"I guess you're right." Blake sighed, setting down her book and standing.

"Where are you going?" Weiss called.

"To face this head on. I'm going to go ask Velvet on a real date."

Her team watched her walk out of the door and shared glances before grinning and sticking their heads out the door to watch.

Velvet rounded the corner onto the hall that housed team Ruby's dormroom and smacked into someone. Glancing up fearfully, she visibly relaxed when she found amber eyes gazing at her apologetically.

"Are you alright?" Blake asked, holding out her hand to help the rabbit-Faunus to her feet.

"Yes, I'm fine." The two stood in silence for a moment, not noticing that the remaining members of both teams were now peeking out of their doors.

"Velvet, I-." Blake was surprised when the lighter brunette held up her hand, but waited for Velvet to be ready.

"Blake, I don't know about you, but..." Velvet took a deep breath. "I've been feeling like we've been growing closer lately."

"I feel the same way." Blake murmured, watching the hesitance play in the other girl's eyes.

"I was wondering if... you would like to go on a date with me... next Saturday." By the time she finished asking, Velvet was shaking, large brown eyes terrified that Blake would reject her.

"I'd love to go out with you, Velvet." The darker brunette murmured softly.

"You would?" Velvet stared at her incredulously and the ninja chuckled.

"Of course. What time?"

"Oh, I'll come to your room at seven. Is that okay?"

"That's perfect. Thank you for asking me out."

Velvet visibly sank in relief as Blake moved in and embraced her warmly. Turning on her heel, Blake waved to her friend before disappearing down her hallway. Velvet let out a breath she had been holding and turned to head back to her own room.

Organza pounced as soon as she got back. "What did she say?" The greenette demanded. "I couldn't hear anything all the way down here."

"I asked her on a date for next Saturday." Velvet giggled, beaming at her partner. "She said yes!"

"That's great news, Velvet!" Organza cheered. "See, I knew all you had to do was take a chance."

"Thanks for pushing me." Velvet smiled at her team before beginning to settle down for the night, the grin never leaving her face as she wondered what she was going to do for Blake next Saturday.

Blake strode back down the hall to Team Ruby's dormroom, finding both her team and Juniper waiting anxiously for her to return.

"How did it go?" Ruby asked, bouncing excitedly.

"Did you ask her out?" Yang inquired.

"Was she sure it was a date?" Jaune asked.

"Was her answer yes?" Nora demanded, large grin firmly in place.

"Whoa!" Weiss called. "Can we please get out of the hallway with this? Let's head inside so Blake can breathe and tell us what happened."

The two teams nodded and convened in Team Ruby's room, sitting on every surface possible and giving the ninja their full attention.

"She asked me out on a date before I could say anything." Blake told them, receiving an applause of squealing from Yang, Nora and Ruby. "We're going out next Saturday and she's coming to get me at seven."

"I'm very happy for your, Blake." Pyrrha told her with a bright smile as Nora laid across her lap, playing with her girlfriend's red tresses idly.

"Yeah!" Nora piped up. "Now we'll see cute little black rabbits running around!"

Everyone blushed at this and Ren sighed. "She's adamant that babies come from storks."

"Don't they?" Ruby asked, to which everyone in the room avoided her eyes while Yang patted her hand.

"Of course they do, Rubes." The blonde told her softly.

"So then a date for next Saturday?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah." Blake replied, beginning to read one of her novels.

"Well, we're all happy for you, Blake." He said, shooting her a grin before leading his team out.

"Us too." Ruby cheered, beaming at her teammate. "It's nice to see you smiling for once."

"Thank you." Blake murmured, continuing with her book as her mind spiraled around next Saturday.

* * *

_****_**_And there you go. I bet you guys are wondering what Velvet has planned, huh? You'll just have to wait and see!_**_****_

_****_**_Aside from that, just wanted to let you guys know I'm now on Tumblr (gothalbinoangel-fiction), Twitter ((a)gothalbinoangel), a Facebook (Goth Albino Angel) and an Archive of Our Own account (GothAlbinoAngel). There are more details on my profile. _**_****_

_****_**_Leave the cute albino a review! ^_^_**_****_


	5. A Night on the Town

_**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter for the fic! I've decided to call this ship Black Bunny for now since, you know, names. Anyway, I know it's been a little while since I updated and there are tons of other fics that need my attention, but I did promise someone I would update these, so, here the chapters are!**_

**_For all those reading, all of my RWBY stories were thought of and created BEFORE the premiere of Volume 2 unless stated otherwise. This does not mean I will not incorporate some of Volume 2 into these stories, but most of the details concerning Volume 2 will not be added in unless they are plot relevant. That is all._**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

Velvet paced her dormroom in slight agitation, her ears flattened to her head as she tried to figure out where she was going to take Blake for their next date. Well, technically it was their first date as it was the first time either of them had decided to show any open interest in each other.

Eyelet watched her calmly, sitting on her bed and drawing. When Velvet's pacing finally reached an hour long, the redhead glanced up. "Why don't you come out with me and Organza?" she asked. "We're heading into Vale tomorrow. Maybe then you'll be able to find somewhere to take Blake for your date."

Turning to her friend, the rabbit-Faunus nodded. "You're right. I'll wait until I've explored the city a bit before thinking about it further."

"Wonderful." Eyelet said dully. "Now will you please pose? I need something new to draw."

**_…_**

Two days later, Velvet moved excitedly through the halls of Beacon, trying to find her date. Blake was on her way to class, reading on of her many books. Rushing to the taller girl's side, Velvet beamed at her. "Hello, Velvet." Blake murmured, giving her a gentle smile. "What do you need?"

"I just wanted to let you know that you should probably wear something fancy for Saturday." Velvet replied, catching her breath. "And black. I'm wearing a suit."

Blake nodded in understanding. "Alright then. Shall we head to class?" Velvet turned to head down the hall with her companion, both of them anticipating what would happen once Saturday finally arrived.

At last, Saturday had arrived and it was time for Velvet to go and get Blake for their date. Looking at herself in the mirror, Velvet had to admit that she cleaned up pretty good. She was dressed in a sleek black suit with a white undershirt and black dress shoes. Organza and Eyelet helped her curl her long hair so that it fell in waves around ehr shoulders and Loden buffed her Faunus ears and gave them a sleek shine. Turning to the door, Velvet paused at a shout.

"Don't forget the rose." Organza exclaimed as Eyelet handed her the red rose.

"Of course." Velvet breathed. "Thanks."

Turning, Velvet made her way from her dormroom. Walking down the hallway to the RWBY dormroom, Velvet took a deep breath before raising her hand and knocking at the door.

"One minute." came the exuberant reply. A moment late, the door opened to reveal a bouncing Ruby Rose. Flower petals filled the air as the redhead beamed at Velvet. "Hey Velvet!" Ruby greeted the older girl. "Blake will be out in a minute, she's just putting a few last-minute touches on her outfit."

"Alright." Velvet nodded in understanding.

"So, can I have a hint at where you're taking her?" the redhead inquired.

"Just know that it's a nice place where anti-Faunus idiots won't be around to bother us." the brunette giggled.

"Sounds like a nice place already." Yang grinned, coming to join her sister in the doorway. "Now Velvet, as Blake's partner, I have to tell you the rules of dating her."

"Rules?" Two long ears twitched in confusion.

"I want her back by eleven, no drinking, no vandalizing, no fighting hordes of Grim while drunk (just in case you break the second rule anyway), make sure not to talk about-"

"Yang!" Ruby interrupted. "You're going to scare off Blake's date!"

"I have to be sure our Blakey's protected." Yang smirked, crossing her arms.

"But that's not excuse to make her feel uncomfortable." Ruby countered, giving Velvet an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Velvet. So long as it's nowhere dangerous and you have her back at a reasonable time, I hope you two have fun."

"Thank you, Ruby." the rabbit-Faunus chuckled.

"Alright!" a voice called from in the room. "Blake's ready."

Both sisters stepped aside to reveal their comrade and Velvet felt her jaw jaw drop. Blake stood before her in an elegant black dress that flowed down to just past her knees. On her legs were knee-high black boots, effectively covering everything, but not taking away from the grace of the outfit. The sleeves were sheer and slightly see-through and a black heart necklace completed the look.

Blake stepped forward slowly, her eyes drinking in the sight of the girl before her. She couldn't help but think that Velvet looked quite handsome in the suit. "You look handsome." she murmured unknowingly.

"And you look very beautiful." Velvet murmured softly, blushing slightly as she held out the single rose she had brought with her. Blake graciously accepted it and slowly placed it into a vase Weiss held out to her, setting it on the bookshelf beside her bed.

"I'm ready to go." Blake said, turning back to Velvet.

"You'll want to grab a coat." Velvet told her. "It's a bit chilly tonight and I don't want you catching a cold while walking through Vale."

Blake nodded and slipped into her trench coat, Velvet pulling on her own fur coat and holding out her hand. Blake took it with a small smile and waved to her friends who all stood and smirked at her from their doorway. Once the pair was out of sight, Ruby turned and jumped across the hall, ready to tell Jaune and Pyrrha all of the juicy details she had thus far. Weiss joined her to be sure she didn't embellish the details while Yang moved after them just to relax with her friends.

Velvet led Blake out to the courtyard and onto one of the fliers that would take them into Vale. On the way, she noticed that Blake had kept her signature bow in place. _I wonder why she wears it all the time._ the rabbit-Faunus mused. _Is it part of the culture she came from? Does it remind her of someone she might have lost? Was it a gift from an old lover?_

That last one made her nauseous and she shook it from her head. The trip into Vale was spent in comfortable silence. Blake wondered where Velvet was taking her and Velvet went through the possible routes they could take through the city in order to reach their destination soonest. Considering she didn't know the city very well, this proved simply a distraction from how nervous she was.

Touching down in Vale, Velvet guided Blake from the airship and began heading in the right direction. As they walked, Velvet kept her ears poised for trouble. Blake's hand in hers was comforting to say the least, but she was uncertain how comforting that had would be if they were to be attacked by anyone from the city that was against Faunus.

Luckily, that scenario didn't have to play out. Coming to the restaurant, Velvet smiled at her date. Blake looked up and read the name. Sunset Restoration. "It sounds nice." she stated, cocking her head.

Velvet nodded and led them inside, coming to a stop in front of the host's stand. "Reservation?" he asked in a smooth monotone.

"Reservation for Scarlatina and a guest." Velvet stated calmly.

"Right this way, Miss Scarlatina." the host murmured, turning and guiding them to a booth near the back of the restaurant. Candles lit the booth and a privacy curtain hung above in case the pair didn't want to be disturbed.

Once Blake and Velvet were settled, the host handed both of them a menu and bowed. "A waiter will be by in a moment to ask your beverage choice."

"Thank you." Velvet murmured, shooting the host a beaming smile. Once he had gone, she turned to Blake with a smile and cocked her head at the other girl looking around in awe.

"How did you find this place?" the darker brunette inquired, her tone matching her expression.

"I was wandering around the city one afternoon with Organza and the others and stumbled upon this place while the others were in a bookstore. After observing their policy and the accommodations made for Faunus, I placed a reservation immediately."

Blake stared at her incredulously. "This place must be super-expensive!" she breathed.

"I wanted our first date to be memorable." Velvet shrugged, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"You've done a wonderful job so far." Blake told her with a small smile, reaching over to touch her hand gently. She pulled back when a waiter stopped beside their booth. He was clad in a suit and holding a pad of paper and a pen.

"Good evening, ladies." he said with a smooth bow. "What may I get you to drink while you peruse the menu?"

"A glass of wine will be fine with me." Velvet replied, glancing to her date expectantly.

"I'll take a wine too." Blake said softly. "And a cup of ice, please."

"Of course." The waiter bowed once more and strode away.

"Wine?" Blake inquired of the rabbit-Faunus once he was out of earshot.

"It's not my first time having it." Velvet shrugged with a smile. "It wouldn't be my first choice for a drink, but the only other desirable thing to drink on the menu would be lemonade and I'm not too fond of that. And you?"

"I was thinking about champagne." Blake murmured. "But I decided that, since I'm out, I might as well try it."

"Yang may beat my skull in if she finds out I let you drink." Velvet giggled.

"Rules were meant to be broken." Blake shrugged. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have been created."

Velvet laughed at that, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb anyone else. "I suppose that's true." she chuckled as their waiter returned with their drinks. Both women quickly perused the menu and glanced up.

"I'll have the vegetarian burger with extra tomato, Italian dressing and a side of carrot sticks." Velvet murmured, making sure he caught the order.

"I'll have a rare one-pound sirloin with the fat intact and a salad." Blake added, glancing up.

"Is that all?" the waiter asked to be sure.

"Yes." Both Huntresses in training replied.

"I will return with your meals in ten minutes. Please feel free to lower to privacy curtain once they arrive and if you need me, simply open the curtain and I will see that you need assistance."

"Thank you very much." Velvet chirped as he turned and strode off. She turned to find Blake sipping the wine experimentally as she chewed at the ice. "Why the ice?"

"I felt a craving for it for some reason." Blake replied. "It tastes nice too."

Velvet nodded, allowing them both to fall into comfortable silence. Blake examined the painting beside them, a piece mimicking Vale's ocean. Velvet tried not to think about how nervous she was.

"Velvet?" Blake inquired.

"Yes?" Long brown ears perked expectantly.

"Do you enjoy museums?"

The question was unexpected and it took the lighter brunette a moment to answer. "I suppose so. I prefer art museums to history museums, though. After all, there's so much history in each piece that I don't need to go to the history museums."

Blake smiled at that and nodded. "Would you like to accompany me to one on Sunday?"

"On Sunday?" Velvet cocked her head curiously.

"Yes. I am going to an art museum this Sunday. It's a way to help me further acquaint myself with the city so that I can find my way around without my teammates. Perhaps we could make a date of it?"

Velvet giggled at the slight nervous undertone Blake's words held. "I would love to go out again with you, Blake."

The other girl visibly relaxed and finally stopped examining the artpiece to look at Velvet directly. They lapsed once more into comfortable silence, gazing at each other for a few moments. Just as Velvet was about to bring up a new topic of discussion, their waiter returned with their meals on a tray. He set Velvet's plate down first, along with a small tub of dressing before sliding Blake's plate carefully onto the table and setting down her salad.

"If that will be all, ladies, I will leave you to your dinner. Bon apetit."

"Merci." Blake replied as he walked off, Velvet drawing the curtain so that they were blocked from the view of the rest of the restaurant. Without a word, both dug into their meals, chowing on their respective dishes.

"You should try this dressing." Velvet hummed happily. "It's wonderful!"

Blake speared a piece of her salad on her fork and gently dipped it into the dressing tub, bringing it to her mouth and chewing slowly. Velvet's ears perked when she heard the unmistakable sound of a cat purring and turned to see Blake licking her lips in delight.

"You're right." the darker brunette murmured. "It's amazing. Do you think they put something extra in it?"

"I don't know." her companion replied, the pair lapsing back into silence as they finished up their meals. It was strange for Velvet. She knew that, on a date, the couple would usually talk to get to know each other better, but considering she and Blake had known each other for quite some time already, that seemed kind of pointless. And it wasn't like the silence was filled with tension. If anything, it felt like they would lose something precious if they spoke.

Once finished with their meals, Blake glanced up at Velvet. "Do you want to take a walk around the city?" she asked softly.

"It would probably be best." Velvet giggled. "I think that burger gave me five extra pounds." Blake gave a slight laugh and pulled open the privacy curtain. Their waiter was at their booth in seconds.

"Is there something I can assist you with, ladies?" he inquired.

"We'd like our check." Velvet replied, receiving a small black booklet. As she counted out the money, Blake stacked their dishes so that the patient man could take them. Once the check booklet had the correct amount (with a generous tip for their waiter), Blake and Velvet stood. Velvet handed the nice man the check booklet and waved goodbye as Blake bowed her head to him in thanks. Both bid the host goodbye as they left and didn't notice the touched smile that moved across his face.

Stepping out into the crisp air, the pair began walking along the sidewalk, taking in the sights of Vale at night. Club goers laughed as they passed by, enjoying the night out with their friends. Velvet felt at ease walking beside Blake. No one paid them much mind, allowing them to slip through the night unnoticed as they walked back to Beacon Cliff.

"How are we going to get back up?" Velvet wondered aloud. "I can't jump that high."

"Climb on my back." Blake ordered.

"What?"

"Climb up." the darker-haired girl repeated. "I'll get us up there."

"Blake, you don't have-."

"It's the least I can do since I let you pay for dinner." Blake told her calmly. Velvet slowly nodded and situated herself onto the other girl's back, their bodies molding together.

"Flatten your ears." Blake commanded, standing at the base of the cliff. Once Velvet did as instructed, Blake moved quickly, using her clones to help her get up the cliff as well as jumping and climbing. Velvet held tight around her shoulders the entire time and Slowly let go when Blake pulled them up over the crest of the cliff.

"Thank you." she murmured.

"And thank you for taking me out tonight." her companion replied. Turning, they walked hand in hand back to the dorms and Velvet stopped Blake at her door, giving her a swift hug good night before heading down the hall to her own room.

Blake sighed and turned to her door. She knew what was waiting on the other side and decided to just get it over with. Slowly, she opened her door.

* * *

_****_**_*sigh* Just when you think you're getting good at something, it makes something else look bad. I know this chapter seemed a little rushed and I'm really sorry for that. I'll try for better next time. Whenever next time may come. _**_****_

_****_**_Aside from that, just wanted to let you guys know I'm now on Tumblr (gothalbinoangel-fiction), Twitter ((a)gothalbinoangel), a Facebook (Goth Albino Angel) and an Archive of Our Own account (GothAlbinoAngel). There are more details on my profile._**_****_

_****_**_Leave the cute albino a review! ^_^_**_****_


	6. Day at the Museum

**_I literally realized while rereading the whole fic that they went on a date on Saturday, which meant when Blake said "this Sunday", it meant the following day. I am so terrible at chronology, honestly. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter and please excuse my hairbrainedness._**

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"How was it?" Yang asked the instant the door opened.

Blake chuckled at her partner's enthusiasm and shut the door behind her. "It was great. She took me to a Faunus-friendly restaurant. It was nice and low-light and our booth was relatively private.

"What did you talk about?" Ruby demanded excitedly.

"Not much." Blake replied. "We mostly just ate while we were there."

Her teammates stared at her oddly. "You spent the time eating?" Weiss clarified.

"You don't need to talk to someone to feel comfortable in their presence." Blake told her, beginning to strip from her dress. "Besides, Velvet and I tend to feel… connected without words. Even though she's a rabbit-Faunus, I feel safe and protected around her."

"Maybe it's because she's a Faunus." Ruby suggested, her voice taking on a gentle tone. "You're not very comfortable around humans, but you can relate to a Faunus."

"Yeah, Ruby's right." Yang chimed in. "You feel safe around her because she's more like you and has gone through similar hardships."

Blake shot her teammates a smile, slipping into a robe. "Either way, she makes me feel good. I'm taking her to the museum tomorrow."

"Ew." Yang grimaced as the brunette turned back. "Why the museum? Can't you go somewhere… fun?"

"Museums _are_ fun, Yang." Weiss huffed. "Intellectuals enjoy spending time at places of art and magnificence. Good choice, Blake."

"Pfft." Yang snickered. "I've got a great place you could take her. I don't go there, but some friends of mine always say it's a wonderful place. Really helps to let off some steam."

Blake rolled her eyes, figuring Yang wanted to give her the address to some club or another that the blonde might not have frequented yet. Grabbing up her supplies, the cat-Faunus waved to her friends and strode for the bathroom, thinking about her next date.

Meanwhile, with Team Vole, Velvet was being bombarded with excited questions. The rabbit-Faunus blinked as Organza gazed at her eagerly, wide green eyes ready for the details.

"How was it?" the greenette amended, realizing there were too many questions to answer at once.

"It was great." Velvet giggled, taking off her suit jacket. "Her dress was absolutely stunning and she seemed so relaxed and calm. Her mood was contagious, really. She made me feel really comfortable."

"That's always a plus in a relationship." Organza nodded. "It's good to be comfortable around each other. Did you talk about anything?"

"Not really." The rabbit-Faunus replied, slipping from her shirt as well. "Blake isn't really the talking type and I already knew quite a bit about her anyway. We enjoy each other's company enough not to really need to talk."

"That's so cute." Loden beamed, giving his leader a thumbs-up. "Do you two already have another date scheduled?"

"She's taking me to the museum tomorrow." Velvet replied, digging around for her pajamas.

"That's a wonderful choice." Eyelet murmured from her bed, gazing out the window at the stars. "Art is a good way to connect with a person and learn more about them and their interests."

"Yeah, but you could do that on a walk through Vale…" Loden's nose wrinkled at the prospect of a museum as a date. "Museums are boring."

"Not for someone who enjoys artistic intellectual pursuits." Eyelet countered, still staring at the night sky.

Velvet shook her head in amusement as her two teammates continued bantering, turning to choose a relaxed outfit to go out in the following day.

...

Velvet grinned as she and Blake met up outside the dormitory after their last class ended. Velvet had decided on a simple grey sweater and black tights, wearing a pair of sneakers for comfortable walking. Blake was wearing a black tee and a purple skirt with her usual tights underneath and a pair of black heels. Velvet shot her an odd glance at her choice of footwear, but chose not to mention it. Walking in silence, the pair climbed aboard an airship and flew into the city.

Blake took Velvet's hand to keep her from being swept away by the crowd and began leading her in the direction of Vale Museum of Art and Creation. Blood rushed to Velvet's cheeks, her heart hammering in her chest as she held tightly to Blake's hand, the smooth skin warm against her own. Coming to the museum, Blake allowed Velvet's hand to drop, much to the other woman's dismay. However, the rabbit-Faunus found her attention diverted seconds later as they walking into the large building.

Velvet stared around at all of the gorgeous artpieces, her ears standing at attention as she took in the details of some of the works. Turning, she found Blake moving off to the side a bit to examine some more paintings and hurried to catch up, Blake pausing to wait for her. The pair moved between the exhibits at a leisurely pace; occasionally, one would point out a particularly interesting piece to another and they would spend a few minutes gushing over it before moving on.

Velvet was completely at ease, grateful to finally have someone other than Eyelet who enjoyed art as much as she did. It was clear that Blake was more into literary art than visual art, but the darker brunette still managed to find something interesting about the works before them. As they moved further into the building, Blake broke off from Velvet slightly, curiously looking to some odd paintings while the mage checked out a few of the sculptures.

When she was finished examining one of a Faunus and a human engaged in gruesome battle, Velvet turned to find Blake staring up at a painting involving a battle even more vicious than the statue. Creeping closer, Velvet's ears flattened to find that it was a very recent painting of the differences between the old and new White Fang.

"It's terrible, isn't it?" Blake whispered, catching the other woman's attention. "How such a peaceful organization could change so drastically because of one change in leadership. The humans will never respect Faunus, not with the way things are going. Humans are always afraid of things more powerful than them and Faunus are just trying to live with other species in peace."

Velvet cocked her head as Blake spoke. "No peace will come if things are like this. Faunus are beings with the strength and abilities of animals, surpassing humans' lesser senses. Humans fear a Faunus overthrow, but in doing so caused a Faunus uprising. If humans continue to fear the Faunus and parade themselves as the 'higher species', not even the White Fang's more terroristic approach will do any good."

They were silent for a moment before Blake turned to Velvet with a small smile. "Sorry, I guess I got carried away for a second. Do you want to go further?"

Velvet looked to the sign for the next exhibit and noticed that it was a depiction of the Faunus Wars. "Probably shouldn't." she murmured. "It's getting close to lunchtime and I'm famished."

Blake gave a soft chuckle and nodded, taking her hand. "Come on, I know a good restaurant not far from here. We can grab something to go and head back to the school. I still have to help Yang with some homework."

Velvet smiled and cast one last look at the painting, wondering how Blake knew so much. _She must have been paying very close attention to Professor Oobleck when he was teaching it._ She thought, following Blake back to the museum entrance.

"What are you hungry for?" the darker brunette asked, stopping outside of on the sidewalk.

"Well, do you know any places with good salads around here?" Velvet asked, glancing around the street they were on in an effort to spot any restaurants.

"Yeah, there should be one nearby." Blake began leading the way further up the street and the two huntresses-in-training walked at a comfortable pace. "You're really into health and fitness, huh?"

"No, it's uh, not that." Velvet blushed and glanced down at the sidewalk as they continued their lazy stride. "I choose to be a vegetarian because when I was younger… kids picked on me. Far more than they do now, because teachers were a lot more lenient of the behavior when I was younger. One day… the class was having a party and everyone brought their own dish.

"One boy bought something to class, I can't remember what he called it, but he gave some to everyone. It was meat, so I thought it would be fine, you know, like chicken or pork. When the teacher saw me eating it, though, he asked me if I was feeling alright… and then proceeded to explain to me that the meaning of the dish's name… was roast rabbit or something akin to that." Velvet sighed as they made it to the restaurant. "Ever since then, the thought of meat has made me sick."

Blake stopped them and led Velvet off to the side, gazing down at her seriously. "That was a mean trick to have played." She said softly. "Are you… still okay with eating in the city? We could head back to the school if I've made you uncomfortable."

Velvet shook her head quickly, ears flopping slightly as large brown eyes looked up at the cat-Faunus. "No, I'm fine. It felt nice letting someone know why I didn't eat meat. You… didn't laugh at me."

"A story like that is nothing to laugh at." Blake told her, rubbing her arms soothingly. "It's a horrible thing to have happened. Now I know not to offer you meat."

She turned to the restaurant, making to head inside, but this time, Velvet stopped them. Swallowing thickly, the rabbit-Faunus moved forward and wrapped her arms around Blake's neck, pressing her head into the taller woman's shoulder. Blake froze, her skin tingling softly at the contact; slowly lifting her arms, she returned the hug, enveloping Velvet in a protective embrace. Velvet's stomach churned happily at the thought that Blake's scent would now be on her for the next day. They stayed like that for a few moments before Velvet pulled back, ears flattened to her head.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For understanding."

Blake smiled and slowly reached out a hand, suddenly remembering something she had forgotten to do when it snowed. "M-may I… touch your ears?"

Velvet looked up at her in confusion and nodded, heat bubbling in her chest. No one aside from her family, Eyelet and other Faunus had ever asked to touch her ears before. Humans usually didn't care to get permission first; she had even briefly assumed Blake was one of those humans when she had maneuvered the hat over her head back on their second outing together. However, she had dismissed the thought because Blake had done it out of sentiment in order to keep her warm. Now, she realized that Blake actually did care.

Blake gently stroked the long brown ears, feeling the soft fur beneath her fingers. Velvet leaned into the touch, sighing softly as the nimble fingers stroked the sensitive ears. Both had completely forgotten about food and just enjoyed this moment, happy for a moment of closeness after the tension in the museum. When Blake's stomach grumbled, however, the ninja pulled back, a slight blush painting her cheeks. Velvet giggled and took her hand, leading her into the restaurant to eat.

Grabbing lunch to go, the brunettes made their way back toward the airship, munching their meals. Waiting for the next available ship, Blake turned to Velvet, licking her lips and asking, "Would you like to go out again on Friday? Yang suggested some club that's apparently really good for relaxing and letting out stress."

"It sounds worth checking out." Velvet replied, eating the last of her lettuce as the next airship landed. "I'd love to go with you Friday."

"Great." Blake smiled as they waited for the airship to take off, making a mental note to ask Yang the name of the club.

* * *

**_I'm having so much fun with this fic, you guys have no idea. I love this fic and I hope you all do as well. Care to let me know what you think in a review?_**


	7. Protect the Cutie

**_Here you are, wonderful readers. Another chapter for you to enjoy. This one is slightly fast-paced, so you have been forewarned. Now, on to the chapter!_**

* * *

"_You let her touch your ears?_" Organza screamed, large green eyes wider than usual as she stared at her partner, slack-jawed. Loden was in the same state, having dropped his brush at the news. Eyelet was not surprised, her semblance having told her what would happen. She was definitely surprised that it had come true, though, leading to her also staring at her leader. "But you don't even let _me_ touch your ears! The only one you let touch your ears is Eyelet!"

"She asked permission to touch them, though." Velvet pointed out. "Eyelet is the only one who has ever asked to touch my ears. It's customary to ask each time before touching a Faunus' heritage traits unless they give you complete permission to touch them whenever you want."

"I wish I'd known." Loden huffed, crossing his arms.

Organza laughed and said, "She's told you several times, Den. You're just absentminded and forgetful. I kinda just… stopped touching them, I guess. The more I got used to them, anyway."

"So, are you two going out again or just relaxing for a while?" Eyelet called, drawing quickly.

"Actually, she's taking me out Friday." Velvet replied, settling onto her bed and taking off her shoes. "Some club her partner suggested."

"Wow, you two have been going out a lot." Loden murmured. "I'm surprised you're even keeping up with your homework."

"Well, it's not like they go out every single day, Loden." Organza pointed out. "Mostly the weekends."

"True." Loden agreed, turning back to his mirror to try taming his hair. "Good luck on your date, then, Velvet."

"Thank you, Den." Velvet giggled, getting started on the aforementioned homework.

…

Blake and Velvet met outside of the dorm as they had last time, grinning when they spotted each other. Both of their teams were watching from the shadows, Organza and Yang trying to get as many pictures as they could while Ren fought to keep Nora quiet and Pyrrha, Weiss, Ruby and Loden cooed over just how cute their friends looked together.

"You look beautiful." Blake said softly, ducking her head shyly as a blush covered her cheeks.

"Thank you." Velvet laughed, beginning to walk toward the airships. "You look very nice as well. I love the purple halter."

"Yang picked it out for me." Blake chuckled. "And Ruby chose the leather knee-highs. Weiss figured that since my boots were so high, I should probably just wear shorts like I normally do. It was a… team effort."

"Mine too." Velvet told her. "Eyelet chose the dress, Organza gave me her favorite boots and Loden did my hair. He's got a talent for it."

"It looks lovely." The darker brunette murmured, allowing Velvet to step onto the airship first.

"Thank you." The rabbit-Faunus ducked her head as a soft blush painted her cheeks, her heart hammering at the news that Blake thought she looked lovely.

The pair sat on the airship in comfortable silence, waiting until the ship stopped in Vale. Velvet noticed the stares they were receiving from the gathered crowd inside of the ship, but Blake's presence beside her lessened how anxious they made her. Blake sent glares at anyone staring at them, promising a painful death to anyone who made a comment about their outfits. Many of the passengers hurried from the airship, not wanting to get caught by Blake.

Blake led Velvet through the city, following the directions Yang had gotten from her friends. Coming to a rundown building, Blake's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Tipping her head to the side to listen, Blake heard the sounds of a crowd cheering and shrugged. "It must be an underground club." She told Velvet, knowing that, with her more sensitive hearing, the lighter brunette had also heard the cheers. Walking over to the large, thick steel door at the entrance to the building, Blake took hold of the brass knocker and banged it three times at the door.

"Password!" a gruff voice called.

"Cadaver." Blake replied calmly.

The door opened and a large muscular woman allowed them entrance, quickly shutting the door behind them and resuming her position. Blake led Velvet further into the establishment, following the sounds of crowds coming from somewhere up ahead. Velvet heard them too and both of them emerged into a crowd surrounding a ring. Glancing at each other in confusion, the two huntresses-in-training strode forward, wanting to see what the fuss was about. Pushing to the front, Velvet stopped, her heart squeezing at what she found as Blake tensed completely, both watching in horror.

It was a man and a woman, both clad in loincloths as they circled each other. The man was sporting a long fox tail and the woman had lion ears atop her head. The two Faunus were locked in intense battle, clawing and biting at one another, trying to make the other give and submit to weakness. As Velvet and Blake watched, the woman's knee came up and slammed into the man's chest, winding him long enough for her to grab him by the tail and swing his body into the ground. Teeth glinted in the spotlight shining on the rink as the lion-Faunus descended on her prey, quickly ending the match with a powerful blow to the fox-Faunus' head.

Velvet moved closer to Blake as the crowd around them cheered and a few, dimmer lights came on so the owners could get their pets from the ring. Several of the humans glanced around, ready for the next fight while others excused themselves momentarily during the short break. Blake put an arm around Velvet, looking for the quickest way she could get them out of here. Her heart hammered in her ears, her entire body brimming with rage, fire engulfing her heart and venom pumping through her veins.

_How could they?_ She thought desperately, fighting the infuriated tears threatening to spill from her eyes. _How could they lose their humanity like that? Was the training really so tough that they would lose themselves to animal nature? We're Faunus! We aren't animals!_ A loud voice interrupted Blake's thoughts, catching her attention immediately as the voice was far too close for her liking.

"Hey, we've got an owner here too!" one of the men shouted, grabbing at Velvet. Immediately, Blake stepped in front of the rabbit-Faunus and slapped the man's hand away, amber eyes narrowed on him. Bile threatened to spill forth from her lips as she glared at the filthy man who had dared touch her girlfriend.

"Don't touch her." She snarled.

"Come on!" several of the spectators jeered. "I bet she'd catch a hefty bet. She looks nice and strong. You must work her well."

Blake's hands closed into fists, her eyes closing momentarily before she raced in a circle, using her clones to clear the space around herself and Velvet. Taking the rabbit-Faunus' hand, she guided her quickly to the door, slamming a hand into the bouncer's chest in order to get out. Velvet watched as Blake's head swung from side to side, her gaze searching for anyone that might try to hurt them as she hurried from the exit.

Making it out into the fresh air without any further incidents, Blake lifted Velvet into her arms and used her speed to race them several blocks from the Faunus fights. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew she had to get Velvet away from that place, as far away from it as she could. Coming to a stop in a park miles from where they started out, Blake set Velvet on a bench and knelt before her, taking the soft cheeks into her hands, amber eyes staring into brown.

"Did they hurt you?" she panted, tears pooling in her eyes.

"N-no." Velvet murmured, avoiding eye contact. She couldn't believe a place like that existed. It was horrible to see that man get beaten by the other Faunus girl, both of them having nothing but animalistic rage in their eyes. Her stomach lurched at the thought of what those humans could have done to her if she had gone alone…

Velvet started as a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly, Blake clutching her in a strong grip. "I'm so sorry." The brunette whispered. "I didn't know what that place was. I didn't… I would never take you somewhere like that if I knew."

Velvet returned Blake's embrace, the pair simply sitting in silence, providing each other with comfort over the experience. Blake's breathing gradually slowed down and Velvet's trembles died. Taking a deep breath, Blake asked, "I, uh, do you want to grab some ice cream instead? It might help you calm down…"

"Thank you." They stood and Blake went slightly ahead of Velvet, her eyes scanning for danger as she stopped in front of an ice cream parlor. Sitting Velvet at a table and asking her order, Blake made her way up to the counter. Velvet watched out the window, trying to ease the hurt and disgust constricting her chest. _Is that how humans really see us?_ She wondered, sadness filling her stomach. _Do they just see all of us as nothing but animals?_

A shadow fell over her and Velvet started, glancing up to find Blake standing over her with their to-go orders in her hands. "I-I think it best if we head back to campus." The darker brunette murmured. "You… I want you to feel safer after seeing something like that."

Velvet simply nodded and accepted her treat, not knowing what to say in reply to that. She still had chills going down her spine at what had happened and her stomach was still roiling with fear at the images replaying in her head. Without realizing it, she finished her ice cream and simply chewed on the spoon, deep in thought. It wasn't until they stopped in front of Beacon Cliff that Velvet snapped from her stupor. "Are we too late for the airships?" she asked in confusion, cocking her head up at her companion.

"No." Blake replied. "I just… don't feel comfortable letting you near unfamiliar humans right now. Still tense, you know? Climb on."

Velvet lifted onto the taller woman's back and Blake hurried up the cliff face, leaping onto solid ground and jogging in the direction of the dorms. Velvet made to get down, but Blake held fast, her pace not slowing.

"Blake?" Velvet looked to the woman carrying her. "I can walk. The humans didn't hurt me."

"I know." Blake murmured, not slowing. She continued to the dormitories and finally set Velvet down in front of Team Vole's door. "I'm really sorry about tonight." Blake said softly. "I'll try to find a way to make it up to you. Good night, Velvet."

Before the rabbit-Faunus could say anything, Blake disappeared, racing down the hall and around the corner to her own dorm room. Fumbling with her scroll, the ninja quickly opened the door and hopped inside, closing the barrier with a sigh of relief, ears flattened to her head in sadness. Of course, this was replaced with something else seconds later as her teammates caught sight of her.

"So, how did the date go?" Yang cheered, striding over to the brunette excitedly.

Blake's eyes flashed angrily and she pulled Yang closer, amber eyes glaring into stunned purple. "_Animal_ fights, Yang?" Blake growled, her eyes slits. "_Animal_ fights? They were using _Faunus!_"

"W-what?" Yang gasped, her eyes wide. "I-I didn't know! I thought… I didn't think my friends would… I didn't know! Blake, I'm so sorry!"

Blake let go of her partner and sank onto her bed, her head in her hands. "I can't believe it." She mumbled, shaking her head. "I can't believe I took her to such a terrible place. How could people do that? She probably thinks I'm the worst person ever."

"Blake, relax." Weiss said, glancing to Ruby and Yang uncertainly. "I'm sure she knows it was a mistake. Maybe the two of you should meet tomor-."

There was a knock at the door and Ruby moved to answer it, finding Velvet on the other side. "H-hey, did Blake come here?" the rabbit-Faunus asked.

"Yeah, she's kinda torn up right now, but I think she'd love to see you." Velvet stepped inside and Blake lifted her head. Amber eyes widened and Blake stood, her form shaking slightly. The pair stared at each other uncomfortably for a moment. Weiss receded, not trusting herself not to make a snide remark and not wanting to make either of the two Faunus upset. Finally, the silence became too much.

"Velvet, I really didn't mean to take you there." Blake whispered. "I would never have taken you to such an anti-Faunus place if I knew-."

"Blake, it's okay." Velvet murmured. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"But they could have hurt you."

"They could have hurt _both_ of us." The lighter brunette said softly, walking forward and taking the ribboned hands in her own. "You fought them off, though. You protected me. I'm safe because of you."

"Hey, Velvet?" Yang called, head lowered in shame. "I'm sorry too, for suggesting that place to Blake. From now on, before I suggest anything for your dates, I'll be sure to check it out first."

"Thank you, Yang." The rabbit-Faunus beamed.

"Y-you get pick of our next date." Blake told her, squeezing the hands in hers. "To make up for this time."

"Alright." Velvet beamed. "Would you like to go out tomorrow, then?"

Blake's lips tugged up in a smile. "I'd love to."

"Great. I'll see you at the dormitory entrance at eleven tomorrow morning." Velvet turned and headed for the door. "Good night, everyone."

"Good night, Velvet." The team called.

Velvet headed down the hall to her dorm room, smiling softly as she held a hand to her chest. The Faunus fights had terrified her, she wouldn't lie about that. She was actually afraid that Blake had taken her there to have her compete as well. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, but then…

Blake had looked so horrified. She was genuinely sorry that she had taken Velvet to such a place. And she knew that Velvet could protect herself, but she still fought off the humans and got Velvet to safety. Warmth spread in the rabbit-Faunus' chest as she remembered how worried Blake had been about her when they were in the park.

"She… truly cares for me." Velvet thought aloud, coming to her dorm room.

Entering the room, she found Organza waiting excitedly on the other side of the door. "How did it go?" the greenette demanded immediately. "Did you get to dance? Did any guys hit on you?"

Velvet's stomach churned in fright, remembering the 'club' she had gone to, but allowed thoughts of Blake to fill her head to calm her. "Uh, I'd… rather not talk about it." She murmured. "It wasn't really a Faunus-friendly place. When Blake found out, we left and went to get ice cream instead."

"Did someone try to fight you?" Loden growled, hand twitching slightly.

"W-well, not exactly." Velvet stammered. "The, uh, club was actually a Faunus fighting place."

"What!" her teammates shouted, Eyelet's head snapping up from her drawing. "Blake took you to the Faunus fights?"

"She didn't mean to!" Velvet told them hurriedly. "She and Yang had no idea that was what it was. Blake… when one of the humans tried to get me to fight, she attacked all of them to get me to safety. She was so worried about me. It was… different than anything I'd ever experienced. I really think she cares about me."

Eyelet relaxed back as Organza and Loden set about calming Velvet and settling down to study. Glancing over at the drawing she had created on Sunday, bright green eyes narrowed fondly as she observed the cat fighting off the large shadows. It looked ferocious and protective, standing defensively over the quivering rabbit under its belly. _I think she really cares for you too, Velvet._

* * *

**_Okay, I really like writing for Eyelet and her semblance. I love Eyelet's semblance. Anyway, I hope it didn't go too fast for you, alligators, but scenes like that usually don't slow down until the danger has passed. Tell me what you think and drop a review. Don't feel comfortable with a review? PM me or message any of my media. See you in the next chapter, lovelies!_**


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